Awards and Challenges

Recently, Kat at Poetikat's Invisible Keepsakes challenged me to tell you Seven Things You May Or May Not Know About Me. So here goes.

1. I'm a night owl. True confession...I let my granddaughters stay up to 12 am last night. The younger one fell asleep quickly, but her sister read while I finished baking the last batch of Cherry Tassies. Once I got in bed and we turned the lights out, I had to tell her 2 stories. Then we talked about something. I have to confess I don't remember what we were talking about because at that point it was 1 am and I was pooped. They are still asleep this morning and I hope they stay that way a few more hours.

2. I'm a born klutz. I stumble. I slip. I'm afraid I'll fall in front of people. Once I didn't see that a walkway had a step up. I tripped and slid into a plate glass window. There were people on the other side mixing and mingling. And looking down at the crazy woman who had just banged into the window at their feet. Can you say embarrassing?

3. I'm an introvert who finally learned how to start conversations with strangers in her 40s. I've had far few tension headaches since then.

4. I find electronics and mechanical things a huge challenge...in fact I think I might be retarded in that way.

5. I don't cry as often as I used to. I think I have menopause and no longer living with my ex husband to thank for that.

6. I haven't been going to church for the past couple of years. This is not good. I left my former church a few years ago for good reasons at the time, but it is where my friends are. I visited other churches, even found one that I like, but I don't know anyone there and I hate going alone. I'm thinking about going back to my old church. I surprised friends when I told them that I'm coming to the Christmas program next Sunday night.

7. My fondest wish is to be able to quit work. I'm not cut out for the 8 to 5 lifestyle. I don't think that way. I don't have enough education to get the kind of jobs that would be challenging and interesting to me. Whine, whine, whine.....

Diahn challenged me, on her blog Ottwork, to answer these questions with one word only....a near impossible task for me.



1. Where is your cell phone?… purse
2. Your hair?… bedhead
3. Your mother?… collector
4. Your father?… cancer
5. Your favorite food?… Mexican
6. Your dream last night?… neighborlookinginwindow?
7. Your favorite drink?… water
8. Your dream/goal?… retired
9. What room are you in?… computer
10. Your hobby?… blogging
11. Your fear?… lost
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?… wealthyandnotworking
13. Where were you last night?… here
14. Something that you aren’t?… thin
15. Muffins?… please
16. Wish list item?… sofa
17. Where did you grow up?… Alabama
18. Last thing you did?… nibble
19. What are you wearing?… pajamas
20. Your TV?… on
21. Your Pets?… none
22. Friends?… many
23. Your life?… blessed
24. Your mood?… anticipatory
25. Missing Someone?… yep
26. Vehicle?… Corolla
27. Something you're not wearing?… socks
28. Your favorite store?… IKEA
29. Your favorite colour?… all
30. When was the last time you laughed?… lastnight
31. Last time you cried?… dunno
32. Your best friend?… multiple
33. One place that I go to over and over?… work
34. Facebook?… sortof
35. Favorite place to eat?… somany


Okay....I know I cheated, but you try to answer all these questions with only one word!

I'm supposed to pass both awards along. I know everyone is busy, busy at this time of the year, but I would love to hear how some of my faraway friends would answer these. So I'm challenging Protege, Soulbrush, Carmen, Trish and Denise to pick either one or both of these to answer. Check out their blogs by clicking their names. I'm sure you'll find something to love at each of their blogs.

Come on guys! I want to know more about you.

Naughty or Nice

Look who I saw today. He was gassing up his sleigh at the Shell station. I gave him my list. He says since I've been good, he's sure he has some presents for me in his bag of goodies. : )

Postcard Friendship Friday

I've said it before....I have a paper fetish. I save all kinds of bits and pieces. Tonight, I dug into 35 years of birthday, anniversary and Christmas cards to bring you today's PFF post.

Christmas postcard from my aunt and uncle in 1981.

This card was sent to my family from a neighbor when I still lived at home with my parents...so my best guess is that it is from the early to mid 60s. What you can't see is the clear glitter which makes the whole card sparkle.

This one was taken from my mother's stash as well. I've always loved the colorful simplicity of this scene.

Holly Hobbie from the late 80s.

This one is probably circa late 80s or early 90s. I love this gentle, busy Santa.

My parents bought a box of vintage cards at an estate sale and my mother sent each one of us one of these old cards in 1999. It was already yellowing then, now it is more so.

I'm sad that the high price of stamps and cards have influenced many to stop the time honored practice of mailing cards to their friends and family. So tonight, I'm sending all of my PFF and bloggy friends my wishes for a very Merry Christmas with 6 virtual cards!

I'm a Waylaid Cleaner

This is what always happens to me. I take the day off to clean the house...this weekend the family is coming for our annual Gingerbread House making party/competition...instead I wind up going through the stacked up unread newspapers for stories I missed and the coupons for Rachel. Now I've moved on to clearing out old magazines. There is no way that I am physically able to just toss a old magazine without flipping through it to tear out pages to stash away.

Thought I would share this with you. It was torn from a 1981 issue of Country Living.

If you enlarge the plans you'll be able to read the room diagrams. The shocker about this old beauty was that in its heyday (1894) the cost to build this home was only $7,000. That price includes the third-floor servants quarters, five bedrooms for the family and a library (I've always dreamed of having one of those). There are 6 fireplaces pictured, but I suppose the servants quarters had them as well. The master bedroom measures 12 x 20 1/2. The smallest bedroom was 11 1/2 x 12 1/2. Only one bathroom for all of those people, but at least there was indoor plumbing.

The cute country store and apartment above could be built in 1887 for only $3,800. The apartment has only 2 bedrooms, but the parlor and the kitchen were huge. I do have to point out one downside to the store/apt.....there was no indoor plumbing and only closets for the pots and the china.

In my defense, I don't have magazines going back to 1981, my mother gave this one recently along with some newer issues. Also, I actually have done some cleaning...dishes, bed made..okay, not much is done yet.

Now, back to the real job at hand....keeping myself on track...there are the rest of the decorations to put in place, the kitchen floor to sweep, groceries to purchase, clothes to wash and dry.........I've got Christmas CDs playing to encourage me to keep cleaning. Like the little train...I just need to keep chanting....I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.....I know I can....if I get off this computer...now! See ya later!

Baby Face

Got to visit with my fellow this weekend.

He has to taste all the furniture at least once a visit to my house.

He loved the way the sack of Christmas garland sounded when he hit on it.

Mail Art

Those of you who enjoy sending and receiving mail art...have you seen the 2009 Graceful Envelope winners? The contest's theme this year was Address the Environment. Judging was done on the basis of skill in lettering, use of color and design and interpretation of the theme.

Some of my favorite work was submitted by students. In the grades 1-6 category:

Julianna Lewis

Eva Lewis

In grades 7-12:

Abbie Tingle

Stephanie Lamb

My favorite in the Adult Winner category was:

Margaret Kubisch

In the Honorable Mention category my favorite was:

Karen Dilbeck

As for fellow bloggers who make amazing mail art, are you familiar with Dave Dube's work? If not, check out his blog sometime.

Look!

It really did snow in Alabama last night.

out my back door

my view in front of the house

the trees are so pretty

my long lasting begonias are so dead

Those of you who live in areas where heavy snows are normal may laugh at our little snow, but since it doesn't snow here very often we have to celebrate it all.

Twofer One

Combo post today: Postcard Friendship Friday and Blind Contour Friday
#1

Some one from Steubenville, Ohio sent this lovely card to Miss Anna Kanfmann who lived in Pennsylvania. The postmark is March 28, 1908. I imagine she had a rather shy admirer who just couldn't bring himself to speak to her. So instead he mailed her postcards from time to time. Perhaps one day he will even sign one.


# 2 My blind contour offering for this week:

My reading glasses...which I wear over my contact sometimes. I have about 4 or 5 pairs...one at work, one by the computer, one by my by my living room chair, one on my craft desk and one pair lost in with needlework somewhere.

Show and Tell

For Protege....the hand. (I'd like to see your red sofa please)

This hand was once lost for about a month...until my granddaughter came back and showed me where she had hidden it...in the linen closet. I don't think she wanted her sister to find it.

Talk of the hand was started in my last post when I mentioned a wooden had I had seen in a magazine a long time ago and had coveted ever since. I'm pretty sure I saw it in Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine which I've missed terribly since it shut down production earlier this year. Lately I been thinking of getting out one old magazine at a time (I have issues going back to 1997) and reading through them again. I think I might make it a regular thing to post something from old issues that still excites or inspires me. Like this:

Love this cool 1950's clock radio....now I'm coveting that too. The cup and miss-matched saucer makes me smile as well.

Ten Things You Want, But Wouldn't Buy Yourself

Maybe the title should be revised to read, Ten Things I Want but Won't Buy ...Yet. Some of these I probably never will buy.

1. a new sofa
2. a big camera with all the bells, whistles and lens
3. a new pair of glasses...that I like...I have a fairly new pair, but I hate them on me
4. a one level house with a small yard
5. fabric that I love for living and dining room curtains, but that much yardage would cost $500
6. beautiful baby dolls for the grands
7. weekly watercolor lessons
8. a flat screen TV
9. a big wooden hand...seen once in a magazine and coveted every since
10. new furniture for the whole house (once I get the new sofa I know I'll want the rest)